Toy transportation system



June 11, 1935. 1 1 QLARK l 2,904,915

TOY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Filed-Feb. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet'l FIIIIIIIILIIIIIIIllllllllll!`|`|l|lllllillilllllllllLLl HHLM/ nllllllnllullllnllllLLl v,` rlllllllllllllllllu HlllllllllllIllllllllllll'lllllllllllllllllllll "glllllllllllllillllullin" I'llllllvllllllllllrlll'llllllllq" lllIIIllllllllLLPTlllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllilll June 1l, 1935. J. J. CLARK TOY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Filed Feb. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-SheerI 2 Patented June 11, 1935 UNITED Toy TRANSPORTATIONSYSTEM I y John J. Clark, Clinton, Iowa v t Application February z5, 19st,', 'serial No. 8,031l '6 claims. (c1. 45s-4s) My invention relates to toy transportationsystems in which miniature vehicles may be caused to travel along a track in almost any directiornby tilting the'base on whichthe track is mounted, whereby the particular portion'of the track in which the. vehicle is momentarily located, may be inclined downwardly to cause the vehicle to travel by gravity, the tilting positions of the base being changed to provide for continuous movement of the vehicle, as where for example it rtravelsin a closed circuit or back and forth over the same stretch of track. The vehicles may beminatu're railwayvcarsrunning on two rails representing a railroad track, an automobile runningon'rails or in a trough, aeroplanes, zeppelins and 'aerial torpedoes running on a single rail'ora double rail above or below the same. The traveling objects may also constitute representations of birds; flying insects and the like.

The object of the invention] is to providfatoy having a wide rangeof adaptation 'and use, whereby the imagination of the child using it may be stimulated and satisfied by the very'extensive possibilities suggested bythe moving object.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the vehiclesV or 'othermoving objects may travel not only along a plane surface but up and down grade, as for example where a train is made to climb to the top of a mountain and then travel downwardly and' around the same vin a gradually enlarging series of loops.

Various other objects relate to the details of construction, whereby the railwayA track or a monorail is supported above the base.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. ,1 is a perspective view of a railway system in which a certain stretch of track 'encrcles amountain; y t l Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; "1

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention in which the representation Vof a mountain is shown on a flat 'vertical surface;`

Fig. 4- is a side elevation thereof; Y

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a further modica tion in which the track has the form of a monorail on which a car oran aeroplane may travel;

Figs. (i, '7 and 8 arel views of detailed structural features, and n t I Figs. 9-12 illustrate various modifications.

In the toy illustrated in Figs. land 2,"a base'V I0 is provided which may be in the form of a board or any sheet of flatmaterial,` metal ror compositionor which may be in the form of an open frame Vwith'suitable transverse'members. The base is mounted on a support l I which enables it to rock in anydirection. This support is curved not only longitudinallybut transversely; whereby it presents a concave surface facilitating the rocking of the base back andforth, s idewise or in any desired` combination of these movements. v'Ihe base may havea handle or y'handles I2 project-Y ing therefrom for the childV to Vtake, hold of althoughsuch -,handlesare not essential. Said handles, where provided, may rest on the floor or table and thussteadythe device and prevent accidental tipping thereof .when it isl not in use. y

A'railroad r,track I-3is mounted on the base and is. shown. as a loop I4 at one end; of the base, providedwith switches I5, this loop surrounding a toy .city or; any group of small houses, buildings or the like. 'At the other end, a railway station or any other desiredY building may be surrounded by another loop of track.: Between the two ends of the board, -in the V,arrangement illustrated, there isA mounted an object of considerableelevation, whichfmay-have theformfof a mountain. The track-leading from the lefthand side of the -loop I-Ifmay approach the mountain kon a, level and ascend the'inclined side thereof abruptly, circling round and round the mountain in gradually venlargingloops I6 to the bottom. Preferably, howeLver-the track leadingto the mountainascends a trestle Il. The tracks leading from the loop I4 to the mountain, preferably cross each other as is also the case with the tracks beyond the mountain; Alsofthe tracks, which are substantially parallel to each other on the two sides of the board, may each passup and down over a hump or trestle I8, I8, if desired. VThe arrangement is suchthat alocomotive, car or a complete train vI Smay ,start at either end of the board, ascend the mountain,

, descend the same and then travel to the other end of the board and back to the starting position. By operating the various switches I5,'the,train may travel round and round the loop severalxtirnea` Ormayfbe made to ascend the mountain `by run` ning round and round the loops and descend along the trestle.v The arrangement described is merely illustrative of ythegreat varietyof possibilities.

Instead of a train, it will be: understood thatian automobile or any other wheeled vehicle may occupy the tracks. e t

In the form of toy shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the base is mounted ondoublerockers 20, 2D, as illustrating a modified support, although the convex` `support previouslydescribed may, of. course, be employed.l The double-fockerimparts transe verse' stability to the .temp-although. it can' be rocked transverselyby. tipping it about oneurocker or the other. The mountain 2|, in this case, is

made of flat sheet material such as wood, metal or cardboard, preferably the latter where the toy is intended to Vbe small and inexpensive. The two sides are printed or otherwise decorated to simulate a mountain or any other desiredscenery. The track, to which the same reference numeral lhas been applied asin Figs. 1 and 2, may be supported in various ways, as on the base or on the vertical sheet of material representing thefmountain. For example, brackets 22 may project from opposite vsidesoithe sheet to 'support' the tracks, which at theends curve around to join the length of track on the other side. somewhat enlargedwhere the lengths of track on the opposite sides are fairly close` to 'the mountain.

In Fig. the general layoutmay'befassumedto l be the same as in Figs. 1 and 2, exceptfthatia single rail or monorail 23 is used .to guide aldef,

pending car 24 or an aeroplane 24', the latterv being secured `to the rail in any one ci a-number of different ways, whereby its travel'may Ybe di-V rected by Ythe rail. -f

Wherer the'vehicles or other moving objects` are light as-where made of cardboard,` for example, or as in the case of a toy aeroplane which is light in construction in any case, the weight and inertia.

ofthe wheels are relied on to assist the travel of' the'vehicle. j -In'FigL 6, I havev shown the wheel as consisting of a pulley or sheave 25, with arms'26 having a weight Zlat the lower end ofone Yof them, which the" object is 'attached in any suitablemanner, or it maybeV mounted at-the top of said arms'.

`In Fig. '7, I- have shown a groovedball 28 with a' similarly weighted arm'to which anyfs'uitabl object may be attached. 'Irrfhegrooved ballmay run on anywnumber of jdifferenttypeseof track. lThe one shownis ofl inexpensive v construction, con- 402 sisting of afstriprofcardboard 30, reinforced with thin sheet metal such'as tin 3|, bent.-over.the`

upper part of it andheld in place by "indentations 32'struck in the metal;- `The track may be sup# Y potedbybrackets 33 of cardboard','metalor yother material, glued or otherwise secured tothe ver-y tical strip30. This form of track may vbebent to assume any desired curvesand isllght and stiff.

In Fig-. 8, I have shown a modified form f carrier, i.'e. a pulley 34 Vhaving a U'shaped metal member-'35 with its parallel arms depending below the pulley to' the' top of which U shaped member, preferably the Vehicle or other light object is attached. VThissmall pulleyinay run on .a small wire 36 embraced by smallv` clamping members 31 'drawn along by a ball as it rrolls in a groo'vedl or trough shapedwtrackv 43 such as shown-ln Fig. l10, for example; iTwdmodiiied forms'of track '44, 45 are shown in Figs. 11 and 12'respectively.

These' tracks,like the'others, maybe grooved so thatV the ball may Sbe madev to' ascend ordescend some substantialfelevation 'or travelV around and aroundY some object'like a mountain, a cylindrical tower or any other elevatedstructure; f It will YbeY apparent that a Vgreat number" of f y changes and may be mafde 'in These curves i and a vehicle on'said track, whereby. said base f may be rocked to cause any portion of said track occupied Aby said vehicle to be inclined down- Vwardly temporarily and thuspropel said Vehicle continuously along successive portions of said track and cause it to appear to travel up said mountaimfdown' which it may travel without fura ther,` manipulation of said base.

2. A toy transportation system comprising aV base, arounded support therefor permitting rocking .in any direction, a representation of 'a moun` tain on saidbase, a lengthof trackon saidbase extending tosaid mountain,` up the side thereof and down and aroundthel same in loops, a closed loop of track connected'by. switches to said length of track, and a vehicleV oni said track,; whereby said .base may be rocked tolca'us'e saidvehicleuto appearfto, travel up the mountainV and down the same, saidsswitches permitting further'travel .of saidvehicle'aroundsaid loop. Y

.'3.',At.oy transportation system comprising a base,a support therefor convex in two' directions at' right angles to each other, a representation of a. mountain on said base, alengthY ofytrackf on said VPbase,"a trestle leading from theplane of the base'gt'o theupper part of "saidmountain and down and around the same and 1a Vehicle on saidtrack whereby tilting of saidbase inthe proper direc-4 tionjwill causethejsame to travel throughout the length of said track. n' Y 1- LAv toyltransportation system comprising a base,a rocking support therefor, a representation of a mountain on said baseV consisting of a vertical sheet of flatmaterial, a length oftrack on said base extending from the surface of said base to the'upper part of said vertical sheet and 'down around bothsides thereof; brackets o n opposite sides of said sheet `supporting said track Vin nearly parallel spans .connected at thev ends by curved portions and afvehicle onsaid track adapted to travel throughout `the length thereof when -sad base'isl rocked. .j A. Y l

5. A toy comprising afbase, anfelongated Vsupport therefor curvedlongitudinally and transvers ely,- a structure on said base extending upward1ytherefrom,a railwaytrack supported b y said structure in a generally descending slope, and a wheeled carg` on said' track; whereby saidrcar maybe caused to-appear vvto ascend said track by gravity by rocking VVsaid base, and may descend by gravity when saidv base is stationary. '1

6. A toy comprising a base, .an elongated support fthereforcurved longitudinally and transversely, a structure on said. base extendingup-v wardly therefrom,l A a track vsupported-by Vsaid structure ina generallydescending slope, and a light vehicle on` said track'having at least one heavy wheelto provide the'necessary momentum, whereby said car may becaused to appear toascend said-track by gravity by rocking said base, and may descend by gravity when said base is stationary. Y Y 7 Y Jom- J. CLARK. 

